The ultimate bracket-picking goal is going 63 for 63, where you correctly pick the winner of every…single…game.
The odds of that happening are, well, not great. One in 9.2 quintillion, in fact.
But what has been the challenge?
We believe the record is 49, when Gregg Nigl of Columbus, Ohio, went 49 for 49 to start the 2019 men’s tournament. That means Nigl picked every single game right through the first weekend, when only 16 teams remained. Only when Purdue beat Tennessee in the Sweet 16 did Nigl’s run end.
Here are the last stands from other years:
2023
The perfect men’s bracket went out early on Game 25 when No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson stunned No. 1 Purdue, following 2018 UMBC as the only 16 seed to beat a No. 1 in men’s tournament history. For women’s, No. 8 Ole Miss’ upset of No. 1 Stanford on the 40th game ended the run.
2022
The perfect men’s brackets lasted to game No. 28, just like in 2021. No. 15 Saint Peter’s upset No. 2 Kentucky, giving the tournament its second consecutive season of a 15-over-2 stunner. On the women’s side, the ESPN bracket “Nathan B!!!” got the first 35 right but reached its end when No. 2 Texas beat No. 7 Utah.
2021
Perfect brackets lasted through 28 games, a much shorter run than in 2019 with Nigl’s 49. No. 15 Oral Roberts’…
